Phrasal verbs with Plough in English

Contents

Plough: Meaning, Usage, and Grammatical Aspects

“Plough” (American English: “plow“) is a versatile word in English, used as both a noun and a verb. While its primary meaning relates to agricultural work, it also has numerous metaphorical meanings and is part of many phrasal verbs. Here’s a detailed look at what “plough” means and how it’s used.

Meaning and Usage of “Plough” as a Noun

As a noun, “plough” refers to an agricultural tool used for tilling soil before planting. This tool turns over the soil to prepare it for seeds, ensuring they have the right environment to grow and receive nutrients.

Example: The farmer used a plough to prepare the field for planting.

In general, “plough” as a noun is mostly used in the context of farming, but it can also have figurative meanings in informal language. For example, “plough” may represent the concept of preparation or transformation in business or personal life.

Meaning and Usage of “Plough” as a Verb

As a verb, “plough” means to till or break up soil, often with a plough. This basic meaning extends through various phrasal verbs, where “plough” can signify overcoming difficulties, putting in significant effort, or moving through something substantial.

Example: Farmers plough their fields in spring.

In a figurative sense, “plough” often implies making considerable effort toward a challenging task, persevering through difficult work, or moving through a dense amount of something.

Example: She had to plough through a lot of paperwork to finish the project.

Phrasal Verbs with “Plough” and Their Meanings

Phrasal verbs with “plough” are key to understanding both formal and colloquial English. They add expressiveness to the language, describing persistence, forward movement, or putting resources into something new. Here are some common phrasal verbs with “plough.”

1. Plough Through – to get through a large task, quantity of food, or obstacles

This phrase is used when someone tackles something difficult or moves through a tight space or obstacle.

Completing a task or dealing with a lot of information
Example: I had to plough through hundreds of pages to finish the report.
Eating a large quantity of food
Example: After the hike, he ploughed through a huge dinner.
Moving through a crowded area or obstacle
Example: They had to plough through the crowded street to reach the concert.

2. Plough On – to keep going despite fatigue or challenges

“Plough on” means not giving up and continuing to move forward, even when it’s tough.

Example: Even though it was getting late, he decided to plough on with his work.
Example: We just have to plough on despite the challenges.

3. Plough Into – to collide at speed; to put in significant effort or money

To crash into something at speed
Example: The truck lost control and ploughed into the parked cars.
To invest or put in substantial effort
Example: They ploughed a lot of resources into the new project.

4. Plough Back – to reinvest or put profits back into a business

This phrase refers to reinvesting earnings into a business or project.

Example: The company decided to plough back its profits into research and development.
Example: They plough back a percentage of their earnings each year.

5. Plough Up – to break up soil or disrupt a surface

This phrasal verb is used to describe the physical act of plowing land or damaging a surface.

Example: Farmers ploughed up the fields to prepare for planting.
Example: Heavy machinery ploughed up the road for construction.

Key Words and Phrases to Remember

plough (n.) – an agricultural tool
plough (v.) – to till or cultivate the land
plough through – to get through something difficult
plough on/ahead – to continue moving forward
plough into – to collide/invest
plough back – to reinvest
plough up – to break up the soil

This in-depth look at “plough” provides insights into how this word operates in English, showing its literal and metaphorical versatility across contexts.

Exercise: Fill in the blanks with phrasal verbs with “Plough”

InstructionsComplete the blanks with the appropriate form of the verb plough and the necessary preposition (through, into, back, up, on). In some cases, you may need to change the tense of the verb (e.g., ploughed, ploughing).

The students had to _______ _______ hundreds of pages of research material to complete their thesis.
Despite the economic crisis, the company decided to _______ _______ all their profits into new technology.
The car lost control on the icy road and _______ _______ a tree.
Farmers usually _______ _______ their fields in early spring to prepare for planting.
Even though she was tired, Sarah decided to _______ _______ with her studying until midnight.
The construction workers had to _______ _______ the old pavement before laying the new one.
He _______ _______ his sandwich quickly because he was late for a meeting.
The business owner _______ _______ significant resources into marketing campaigns.
Despite the stormy weather, the ship continued to _______ _______ the waves.
The team decided to _______ _______ with the project despite all the setbacks.

Note: Some sentences may allow for alternative correct answers depending on the context. For instance, in sentence 5, plough ahead can also be used.

Explanation of Answers

plough through – overcoming a large amount of material
plough back – reinvesting profits
ploughed into – colliding with an object
plough up – preparing soil for planting
plough on – continuing an activity despite fatigue
plough up – breaking up the surface
ploughed through – eating quickly
ploughed into – investing resources
plough through – moving through obstacles
plough on – continuing despite difficulties